Work to live - or live to work?

How to sit 9

(Adult practice - Part XXIX)

Sawaki Rôshi tells us to "avoid sitting when you are physically exhausted", but the question is why we feel so tired and stressed out in the first place? This relates again to the question of our use of time and our attitude towards work and rest. It is an important issue and has a lot to do with our cultural background, I think.

In one of his books, Uchiyama Kôshô Rôshi says that as a junior highschool student he was struck when he found the English sentence "I don't live to work, I work to live" in his textbook in school. It seems that this was a completely new and unexpected perspective on life for him, differing from that of the common Japanese. As a matter of fact, many foreigners as well as Japanese seem to agree that the Japanese in general are like ants that "live in order to work" rather than "work in order to live". I myself had heard a lot of talk like that before I came to Japan, and on my first visit was most impressed by the so-called "convenience stores" which you find at each corner in the big cities. Unlike Germany, where it is illegal to open your store after 6 pm and on sundays, and many shops in Catholic areas even close for a lunch break from 12 to 2, these stores are open 24 hours a day, all around the year. While a town in Europe can be as dead as a cemetery on a sunday, there seems to be no such thing in Japan: you couldn't tell from the traffic in the street if it was a regular week day or the week end. Japanese are also famous for not taking their holidays even when they have a right to, and working extra hours without being paid.

On the other hand, I was quite surprised to find that the Japanese were not at all the "working animals" I had heard they were. They spend a lot of time at their jobs, sure, but they are not necessarily hard-working. Sometimes I even got the impression that they weren't doing pretty much anything. It would for example cost me an hour to cash in a traveller's check, even though there were no others customers in the bank and more than half a dozen clerks sitting behind the desks, straing at their finger nails. But not only desk workers seem to be killing most of the time of the day. Construction sites in Japan are often crowed with people, but only few of them are actually working. Others will just stand around and take care that "everything is safe", while still others sit in the shade and chat, take a nap or read the tabloid paper. Only when their boss is watching will people pretend to be doing something, but even for an outsider it is obvious that no-one really feels responsible for or connected to the job. No wonder that work takes forever even though people work until late at night and take only a few days of holiday during the year. In short, the quality of the work is extremely low if you put it into relation with the quantity of time that is used up for it. This was also my first impression of the work we did at Antaiji when I came here as a student for 6 months in 1990 (I wrote about this experience in the "Shitpaper" of January 2004).吀栀攀 洀漀渀欀猀 眀攀爀攀 眀漀爀欀椀渀最 愀 氀漀琀 愀渀搀 昀漀爀 氀漀渀最 栀漀甀爀猀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 渀漀琀 椀渀 愀渀 攀昀昀椀挀椀攀渀琀 眀愀礀 愀琀 愀氀氀⸀ 䄀氀琀栀漀甀最栀 昀漀爀最攀琀琀椀渀最 愀戀漀甀琀 攀昀昀椀挀椀攀渀挀礀 愀渀搀 樀甀猀琀 瀀甀琀琀椀渀最 礀漀甀爀 戀漀搀礀 琀漀 眀漀爀欀 琀甀爀渀攀搀 漀甀琀 琀漀 戀攀 愀 最漀漀搀 氀攀猀猀漀渀 椀渀 娀攀渀 瀀爀愀挀琀椀挀攀 昀漀爀 愀 氀愀稀礀 椀渀琀攀氀氀攀挀琀甀愀氀 愀猀 洀礀猀攀氀昀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 氀漀渀最 栀漀甀爀猀 漀昀 甀渀ⴀ攀昀昀椀挀椀攀渀琀 眀漀爀欀 眀攀爀攀 愀氀猀漀 琀栀攀 爀攀愀猀漀渀 昀漀爀 洀愀渀礀 洀漀渀欀猀 琀漀 爀攀最愀爀搀 稀愀稀攀渀 愀渀搀 攀猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀氀礀 琀栀攀 猀攀猀猀栀椀渀 愀猀 愀 欀椀渀搀 漀昀 栀漀氀椀搀愀礀⸀ 吀栀攀礀 眀攀爀攀 猀椀琀琀椀渀最 眀栀攀渀 戀攀椀渀最 琀漀琀愀氀氀礀 攀砀栀愀甀猀琀攀搀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 愀猀 爀攀搀甀挀椀渀最 眀漀爀欀 眀愀猀 渀漀琀 愀渀 漀瀀琀椀漀渀Ⰰ 琀栀攀礀 猀攀攀洀攀搀 琀漀 栀愀瘀攀 搀攀挀椀搀攀搀 琀栀愀琀 琀栀攀礀 挀漀甀氀搀渀✀琀 戀攀 戀氀愀洀攀搀 昀漀爀 琀愀欀椀渀最 愀 爀攀猀琀 搀甀爀椀渀最 琀栀漀猀攀 栀漀甀爀猀 愀渀搀 戀攀 昀愀猀琀 愀猀氀攀攀瀀⸀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀一漀眀Ⰰ 眀栀攀渀 匀愀眀愀欀椀 刀☀漀挀椀爀挀㬀猀栀椀 琀攀氀氀猀 甀猀 琀漀 ∀愀瘀漀椀搀 猀椀琀琀椀渀最 眀栀攀渀 礀漀甀 愀爀攀 瀀栀礀猀椀挀愀氀氀礀 攀砀栀愀甀猀琀攀搀∀Ⰰ 搀漀攀猀 栀攀 洀攀愀渀 琀栀愀琀 眀攀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 猀琀漀瀀 搀漀椀渀最 稀愀稀攀渀 眀栀攀渀 眀攀 挀愀渀 渀漀琀 爀攀搀甀挀攀 琀栀攀 愀洀漀甀渀琀 漀昀 眀漀爀欀 眀攀 栀愀瘀攀 琀漀 搀漀㼀 䤀 搀漀 渀漀琀 渀攀挀攀猀猀愀爀椀氀礀 琀栀椀渀欀 猀漀⸀ 䄀氀琀栀漀甀最栀 琀栀攀爀攀 愀爀攀 氀椀洀椀琀猀 琀漀 漀甀爀 瀀栀礀猀椀挀愀氀 攀砀栀愀甀猀琀椀漀渀Ⰰ 洀漀猀琀 漀昀 琀栀攀 琀椀洀攀 眀栀攀渀 眀攀 昀攀攀氀 猀漀 琀椀爀攀搀 昀爀漀洀 眀漀爀欀 琀栀愀琀 眀攀 挀愀渀✀琀 猀椀琀Ⰰ 椀琀 猀攀攀洀猀 琀漀 栀愀瘀攀 猀漀洀攀琀栀椀渀最 琀漀 搀漀 眀椀琀栀 漀甀爀 愀琀琀椀琀甀搀攀 琀漀眀愀爀搀猀 眀漀爀欀 愀渀搀 稀愀稀攀渀⸀ 䐀漀 眀攀 昀攀攀氀 琀栀愀琀 眀攀 猀瀀攀渀琀 漀甀爀 眀栀漀氀攀 氀椀瘀攀猀 愀猀 ∀眀漀爀欀 猀氀愀瘀攀猀∀ 眀椀琀栀 渀漀 琀椀洀攀 氀攀昀琀 昀漀爀 漀甀爀猀攀氀瘀攀猀㼀 䄀渀搀 攀瘀攀渀 琀栀漀甀最栀 眀攀 戀攀挀愀洀攀 洀漀渀欀猀 琀漀 瀀爀愀挀琀椀挀攀 琀栀攀 䈀甀搀搀栀愀 眀愀礀Ⰰ 愀昀琀攀爀 氀椀瘀椀渀最 椀渀 愀 洀漀渀愀猀琀椀挀 攀渀瘀椀爀漀渀洀攀渀琀 昀漀爀 愀 挀漀甀瀀氀攀 漀昀 礀攀愀爀猀Ⰰ 眀攀 洀椀最栀琀 攀瘀攀渀 琀栀椀渀欀 琀栀愀琀 稀愀稀攀渀 椀琀猀攀氀昀 椀猀 渀漀琀 ∀漀甀爀 琀椀洀攀∀⸀ 圀攀 猀琀愀爀琀 琀漀 挀漀洀瀀氀愀椀渀 琀栀愀琀 眀攀 栀愀瘀攀 渀漀 琀椀洀攀 戀攀挀愀甀猀攀 眀攀 猀椀琀 琀漀漀 洀甀挀栀 稀愀稀攀渀℀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀 There is a Zen saying that claims that "a day without work is a day without food". Especially in a self-sufficient environment like Antaiji, we have to work hard to live. But how come that we end up feeling as if we were just "living to work"? And is it really true that we should "work to live but not live to work"? I have the feeling that it is exactly this divison between work and life and the attitude of putting one above the other that makes us feel so tired and exhausted. Isn't it because we do not understand work as a part of life that we complain that we are stressed out and have no time? Both the Japanese approach, that seems to value work more than everything else, when in reality people just work long but nothing gets done - and the Western approach, where work seems to be understood sometimes as a "necessary evil" to keep us alive rather than work itself fulfilling our lives, have their pitfalls. Both fail to see the unity of life and work. As long as we feel that the time we spent at our jobs is not "our time", and we think that our lives are eaten away by our work, we will always feel tired no matter how hard we try to recreate and have fun after five. Because we do not live our lives "after five" or on the weekends only. It is not only the holidays which we spend on the beach when we are alive - we live right now, and our practice has to be the attitude with which we live this present moment.㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀 I want to continue to investigate why we feel so enslaved by our work next month.㰀⼀搀椀瘀㸀

The symposium finally came to an end without delivering any answers. The officials concluded with listing a number of problems inside the Zen sect, which will have to be solved before the problem of the Aum believers can be addressed. Among these problems are "the problem of raising Dharma heirs, the problem of the position of house-wifes in the Zen temples, the question of how to spread the Dharma etc". In short, the problem is that the Dharma has disappeared out of today's Japanese temples. Therefore it is not surprising that no-one in Japan turns toward a Buddhist temple when looking for answers to the question of his life. Rather than practicing Zen (and where is it really practiced in the established temples?), a young deseperate Japanese will rather enter one of the new religious cults.

"Most of the Zen monks today are married, and their wifes play an important role in the temple life. But this leads to a lot of problems too. First of all, it hasn't been made clear what it means for a Zen monk to be married in the first place. We don't know what role the 'temple wife' should play, and each of the Buddhist sects is just affirming the present situation as it is, without laying down any standard for the role that the 'temple wifes' should have. Regardless of that - or maybe rather just because of that - the temples have turned into convenient homes for the wife and children, while it has become more and more difficult even for the parishoners of that temple enter into the 'private space' of the priest's family."㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀 Japanese temples aren't places for the practice of the Buddha-Dharma anymore. The have turned into funeral businesses. At the same time, they serve as homes for the family of the priest, who is offering his services for money. Therefore it is no wonder that not only the young Japanese on a spiritual quest, but even the parishoners of that very temple whom they have been supporting for centuries do not feel welcome there any more. But this problem is not only a problem of the individual temples, but also of the religious organizations as a whole, the officials say.㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀 "The organizations have ignored these questions for a long time and left the solution to the problems at hand to the individual temples. Because of this attitude the few young priest who try to give their best to spread real Dharma have grown desperate with the religious organizations, especially the headquarters at its core. They don't expect anything from us anymore and are starting to form their own, autonomous groups. Indepent from the rotten core of the Zen sect, they have started to ask themselves sincerely what they can do now, what the present situation demands of them."

䄀猀 愀 眀漀爀欀攀爀 椀渀 琀栀椀猀 攀渀瘀椀爀漀渀洀攀渀琀Ⰰ 椀琀 椀猀 渀漀琀 甀渀甀猀甀愀氀 愀琀 琀椀洀攀猀 琀漀 戀攀挀漀洀攀 愀 琀愀爀最攀琀 昀漀爀 渀攀最愀琀椀瘀攀 攀洀漀琀椀漀渀猀 昀爀漀洀 猀漀洀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 爀攀猀椀搀攀渀琀猀⸀ 伀渀挀攀 琀栀攀爀攀 椀猀 猀甀搀搀攀渀氀礀 渀漀 氀漀渀最攀爀 愀渀礀 搀爀甀最 椀渀 琀栀攀 猀礀猀琀攀洀 琀漀 猀攀搀愀琀攀 甀渀眀愀渀琀攀搀 攀洀漀琀椀漀渀猀Ⰰ 猀甀挀栀 攀洀漀琀椀漀渀猀 琀攀渀搀 琀漀 爀攀戀漀甀渀搀 眀椀琀栀 愀 瘀攀渀最攀愀渀挀攀⸀ 䈀攀椀渀最 椀渀 琀栀攀椀爀 昀椀爀椀渀最 氀椀渀攀 椀猀 渀漀琀 愀 挀漀洀昀漀爀琀愀戀氀攀 攀砀瀀攀爀椀攀渀挀攀Ⰰ 礀攀琀 戀攀椀渀最 琀栀攀爀攀 挀愀渀 戀攀 最漀漀搀 瀀爀愀挀琀椀挀攀 昀漀爀 琀栀愀琀 爀攀愀猀漀渀⸀ 吀栀椀猀 洀愀欀攀猀 洀攀 爀攀挀愀氀氀 愀 搀椀猀愀最爀攀攀洀攀渀琀 椀渀 琀栀攀 欀椀琀挀栀攀渀 愀琀 䄀渀琀愀椀樀椀Ⰰ 眀栀椀挀栀 氀攀搀 琀栀攀 漀琀栀攀爀 最甀礀 琀漀 挀愀氀氀 洀攀 愀渀 ᰀ愠猀猀栀漀氀攀ᴀ⸠ 䤀洀洀攀搀椀愀琀攀氀礀 䤀 戀攀挀愀洀攀 猀攀氀昀ⴀ爀椀最栀琀攀漀甀猀氀礀 愀琀琀愀挀栀攀搀 琀漀 琀栀椀渀欀椀渀最 琀栀愀琀 栀攀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 渀漀琀 栀愀瘀攀 搀漀渀攀 猀漀⸀ 䤀渀 栀椀渀搀猀椀最栀琀Ⰰ 䤀ᤀ洠 戀攀洀甀猀攀搀 戀礀 洀礀 爀攀愀挀琀椀漀渀Ⰰ 攀砀挀攀瀀琀 琀栀愀琀 瀀爀愀挀琀椀挀攀 椀猀 渀攀瘀攀爀 愀 洀愀琀琀攀爀 漀昀 栀椀渀搀猀椀最栀琀Ⰰ 樀甀猀琀 漀昀 琀栀椀猀 洀漀洀攀渀琀⸀ 匀攀瀀愀爀愀琀椀渀最 猀攀氀昀 愀渀搀 漀琀栀攀爀Ⰰ 最漀漀搀 愀渀搀 戀愀搀Ⰰ 爀椀最栀琀 愀渀搀 眀爀漀渀最Ⰰ 椀猀 猀漀洀攀琀栀椀渀最 栀愀瀀瀀攀渀椀渀最 椀渀 琀栀攀 栀攀爀攀 愀渀搀 渀漀眀⸀ 䘀漀爀 琀栀椀猀 爀攀愀猀漀渀Ⰰ 䤀ᤀ洠 瘀攀爀礀 愀瀀瀀爀攀挀椀愀琀椀瘀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 漀瀀瀀漀爀琀甀渀椀琀礀 琀漀 眀漀爀欀 椀渀 愀渀 攀渀瘀椀爀漀渀洀攀渀琀 琀栀愀琀ᤀ猠 愀琀 漀渀挀攀 椀渀琀椀洀愀琀攀 愀渀搀 愀戀爀愀猀椀瘀攀 愀渀搀 瘀漀氀愀琀椀氀攀⸀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀㰀椀㸀 … no ignorance, and no end to ignorance …㰀⼀椀㸀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀 My other job is as a “psychotherapist” in a multidiscplinary medical clinic. I sit in a small room, and people come and see me for one hour at a time in relation to issues that are of concern to them. Most people who come, do so on the referral of a medical doctor. Again, there is no fee as my position is government funded. I see people of different backgrounds and ages, women and men and occasionally a person in transition, with chronic pain, or substance use problems, or depression, or a history of attempted suicide. Sometimes we share a cup of tea and talk. But mostly I just listen and therby relate with the person and with whatever happens in the course of the hour. One therapist has described this, and he wasn’t referring to zazen, as “a posture in which the therapist basically accepts everything as it is in the present, while maintaining awareness of any attraction to, or repulsion from, anything that the client says or does.” That this happens to go somewhat against the current trend of doing so-called “psycho-education”, with methods such as “Cognitive Behavioural Therapy”, does not worry me. But I sometimes do ask myself if, by accepting things as they are, I’m not in effect subverting the role of being a “therapist”, which is after all what I’ve been hired for and am supposedly being paid to do.